Benefits

Health benefits are administered by the Pennsylvania Employees Benefit Trust Fund (PEBTF). Employees must take action to enroll; coverage is not automatic. During orientation, the Office of Human Resources will assist new hires with enrollment.

Employees are eligible for medical coverage on their first day of employment. After 30 days, employees are eligible for prescription and supplemental benefits (dental, vision, and hearing aid) at no additional cost.

The PEBTF contracts with Optum to provide mental health and substance abuse rehabilitation treatment services, whether in-patient or outpatient, to employees enrolled in medical benefits. Coverage is available to employees from the first day on the job and offers lower out-of-pocket expenses and no claim forms with Optum network providers. Reference the PEBTF Summary Plan Description for additional information.

In conjunction with Optum, SEAP is a free confidential service offered to all employees to assist them and their family members in resolving a wide variety of personal concerns that includes abuse, alcohol, drugs, anxiety, depression, financial problems, legal issues, and more.

After 90 days of employment, the Commonwealth provides life insurance to permanent employees at no cost through the Metropolitan Life Company (MetLife).

The State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS) offers three retirement benefit options for new hires to choose: Two hybrid defined benefit pensions/defined contribution investment plans administered by SERS, and a straight defined contribution investment plan administered by a third-party. New hires without prior SERS membership are entered into a default plan, Class A-5, with the option to switch only within their first 45 days of employment.

All employees are enrolled into direct deposit for their paychecks with options to participate in various state programs, such as college savings, PA ABLE, Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Dependent Care Account Program (DCAP), disability and critical illness insurances, term life insurance, and more.

The Commonwealth offers leave options to assist employees with meeting their work and family needs. Employees are eligible to use paid annual and sick leave after 30 days of service.

Paid parental leave is available for the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Eligibility: Employees who are eligible for FMLA and have been continuously employed by the Commonwealth for 12 months immediately preceding the qualifying event and have worked 1250 hours during that period.

Entitlement: Eligible employees may use up to eight weeks of paid parental leave in full-day increments for a qualifying event. This leave counts towards the overall 12-week FMLA entitlement and the absence must begin within six months of the qualifying event. Paid parental leave is not deducted from an employee’s sick or annual leave balances.

There are 12 paid holidays during the leave year. Employees must be in an active pay status the half shift before and the half shift after the holiday to receive holiday pay. Holidays falling on a Saturday are granted on Friday; holidays falling on a Sunday are granted on Monday.

Military time can be purchased after three years of service with the Commonwealth. Purchased military time will be credited to total Commonwealth service for retirement purposes.

In support of providing our employees with every opportunity to further their education, have access to training, and advance their career, a discount on tuition for continuing education is now available through partnerships with PennWest University, York College of Pennsylvania, Rutgers University, Elizabethtown College, Peirce College, and Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. And, through a first-of-its-kind program for the department, dependents of our employees are eligible for exclusive scholarships and grants at York College of Pennsylvania. In addition, we offer employees a 0.25% interest rate reduction on PA Forward student loans.